Japan should use the Olympics as a chance to commit to tackling discrimination over gender identity and sexual orientation in sport and prevent physical abuse of youth athletes, activists said just days before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games.
Though known for its strong civil society and democracy, Japan had serious rights issues to address, Human Rights Watch said Monday, adding that the Olympics charter bans discrimination of any kind.
The group last week released its "reporter's guide" to the Olympics, addressing Japan's human rights record and the Tokyo Games and a failure by lawmakers to an LGBT anti-discrimination law in the lead-up to the Olympics, which run from Friday to Aug. 8.